Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Tier 3 — Observational / field trialPeer-reviewed

Adaptive capabilities and phytosanitary status of organic and conventional wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under drought conditions

Dina Atanasova; Vasilina Maneva; Violeta Bozhanova

Bulgarian Journal of Crop Science · 2026

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Summary

This study, published in the Bulgarian Journal of Crop Science, examines how organic and conventional wheat management systems compare in terms of adaptive capacity and phytosanitary status under drought stress conditions. By comparing the two production systems, the research likely contributes evidence on whether organic management confers any resilience advantages or phytosanitary trade-offs when crops face water deficit. The findings are relevant to questions of sustainable cereal production in semi-arid or drought-prone environments in south-east Europe.

UK applicability

Conducted in Bulgaria, this research is most directly applicable to continental European cereal systems experiencing drought; however, as UK wheat production faces increasing drought risk under climate change scenarios, the comparative findings on organic versus conventional resilience may offer transferable insights, particularly for growers in drier eastern regions of England.

Key measures

Drought adaptive traits (e.g. relative water content, leaf area, yield components); disease incidence and severity; phytosanitary status indicators; grain yield (t/ha)

Outcomes reported

The study likely measured adaptive physiological traits and phytosanitary indicators (such as disease incidence and pest pressure) in wheat cultivars grown under organic and conventional management during drought conditions. Comparisons between the two systems would have assessed how management regime interacts with drought stress to influence crop health and resilience.

Theme
Farming systems, soils & land use
Subject
Arable crop resilience & plant health
Study type
Research
Study design
Field trial
Source type
Peer-reviewed study
Status
Published
Geography
Bulgaria
System type
Arable cereals
DOI
10.61308/tikk6133
Catalogue ID
NRmo3f02hq-02t

Topic tags

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